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UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT 

STATES  RELATIONS  SERVICE. 

A.  C.  TRUE,  Pircct6r. 


HOW  TEACHERS  IN  RURAL  ELEMENTA 
USE  A  SOIL  SURVEY. 

Purpose. — This  leaflet  is  intended  to  suggest  to  teachers  in  ele- 
mentary rural  schools  how  they  may  utilize  the  soil  surveys  of  their 
counties  or  sections  in  connection  with  the  teaching  of  agriculture. 
Every  teacher  should  know  the  agricultural  conditions  of  the  par- 
ticular section  in  which  his  or  her  school  is  located.  The  soil  survey 
supplies  this  information  in  a  very  comprehensive  manner.  Each 
rural  school  should  be  supplied  with  one  or  more  copies  of  the  local 
survey  that  the  school  instruction  in  agriculture  may  be  adapted  to 
local  conditions. 

While  the  suggestions  in  this  leaflet  are  somewhat  general,  with 
slight  modification  they  may  be  adapted  to  the  use  of  any  survey. 

Relation  to  the  course  of  study. — The  survey  may  be  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  study  of  such  phases  of  agriculture  as  soils,  crops, 
fruits,  vegetables,  and  farm  animals:  also  in  suggesting  suitable 
correlations  with  such  subjects  as  geography,  history,  and  the  like. 

Agricultural  topics. — Soils:  (1)  Names,  areas,  and  locations  of 
soil  types  (see  map)  ;  (2)  description,  development,  origin,  primal 
use,  and  present  adaptation  of  each  type. 

General  study  questions. — By  what  color  is  each  soil  type  indicated 
on  the  map  ?  Study  the  distribution  of  soil  types  as  indicated  by  the 
colors  on  the  map.  What  are  the  locations  of  types  with  respect  to 
streams?  Group  the  soil  in  the  order  of  the  extent  of  areas  as  in- 
dicated on  the  map.  What  is  the  name  of  the  soil  on  which  the 
school  building  stands?  What  soil  types  are  found  on  the  home 
farms  of  the  pupils  of  the  class?  Which  types  are  most  productive? 
What  types  are  mainly  in  timber?  In  native  grass?  On  what  soils 
are  there  most  wagon  roads?  On  what  soils  are  the  roads  in  best 
condition?  On  what  soils  do  roads  get  in  bad  condition  in  wet 
weather  ?  Why  ?  On  what  soils  are  roads  most  dusty  in  dry  weather  ? 
On  what  soils  are  roads  most  stony?  Most  hilly?  On  what  soils  are 
there  the  largest  and  best  farm  houses  and  buildings  ?  On  what  soils 
do  farmers  use  a  great  deal  of  machinery  ?  Where  do  they  do  dairy 
farming?  Corn  farming?  Grain  farming?  Cotton  farming? 
Cane  farming?  Orcharding?  Trucking?  Livestock?  Other  crops? 
Where  are  churches  and  schoolhouses  best  and  most  numerous? 
What  types  of  soils  sell  at  the  highest  price?     Are  differences  in 

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price  in  proportion  to  yield  of  crops?     What  other  factors  affect 
the  price  of  land? 

Studies  with  crops. — List  the  field,  orchard,  and  garden  crops  in 
the  order  of  their  importance  as  related  to  each  soil  type.  What 
methods  of  soil  preparation,  fertilization,  and  cultivation  are  em- 
ployed in  connection  with  each  of  the  crops  grown  ?  What  varieties 
of  each  of  the  leading  crops  are  grown  most  successfully?  Name 
the  principal  crop  rotations  practiced  on  each  soil  type. 

Studies  with  farm  animals. — What  opportunities  are  offered  for 
the  growing  of  live  stock  ?  To  what  extent  is  each  soil  type  adapted 
to  the  production  of  permanent  pastures?  Forage  crops?  Compare 
as  to  importance  these  industries :  Beef  cattle,  dairying,  hogs,  sheep, 
poultry.  What  are  the  principal  grasses  used  for  permanent  pas- 
tures? What  are  the  principal  hay  and  soiling  crops?  What  is 
the  leading  beef  breed?  Dairy  breed?  What  are  the  leading  breeds 
of  hogs?  What  is  the  principal  hindrance  to  the  development  of 
the  beef  cattle  industry?    Dairying?    Poultry?     Swine  production? 

Geography. — The  soil  map  should  be  carefully  studied  with  ref- 
erence to  boundaries,  directions,  roads,  railroads,  villages,  streams, 
elevation,  and  the  like.  Study  the  scale  as  it  applies  to  the  map  and 
practice  the  pupils  in  determining  and  verifying  distances  on  the 
map  by  use  of  the  scale.  The  upper  edge  of  the  map  indicates  north. 
When  observations  are  made  on  the  map  it  should  take  the  proper 
direction.  If  there  is  no  compass  in  the  building,  select  an  object 
such  as  a  crossroad,  church,  or  house  that  can  be  seen  from  the  school 
building  and  place  the  map  so  that  the  direction  from  the  school 
building  to  the  object  as  it  appears  on  the  map  is  in  line  with  the 
object  selected  as  seen  from  the  building. 

Study  questions. — What  is  the  title  of  the  map?  What  is  the 
meaning  of  the  scale  ?  Draw  the  schoolroom  to  the  same  scale.  Draw 
160  acres  of  land  to  the  same  scale.  Locate  the  schoolhouse  on  the 
map.  Find  the  distance  from  the  schoolhouse  to  the  principal  points 
in  the  area  surveyed.  What  is  the  length  of  the  area  surveyed  ?  The 
width  ?  What  symbols  are  used  to  indicate  houses,  cities,  roads,  rail- 
ways, lakes,  bridges?  Locate  known  points  on  the  map.  Compare 
the  scale  of  the  soil  map  to  those  of  other  maps. 

What  is  the  mean  annual  temperature  of  the  area  surveyed  ?  What 
is  the  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring?  The  first 
in  the  fall  ?    What  is  the  annual  rainfall  ? 

History. — By  whom  was  the  county  or  section  settled?  About 
what  date  were  first  permanent  settlements  made?  Give  an  account 
of  the  railroad  development;  of  the  building  of  roads;  of  the  de- 
velopment of  rural  free  delivery  routes;  of  telephone  lines;  of  edu- 
cational institutions. 

C.  H.  Lane, 

Chief  Specialist  in  Agricultural  Education. 
March  1,  1917. 

WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1917 


